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Pesticide
From TipThePlanet
A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest. A pesticide may be a chemical substance, biological agent (such as a virus or bacterium), antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest. Pests include insects, plant pathogens, weeds, molluscs, birds, mammals, fish, nematodes, and microbes that destroy property, spread disease or are a vector for disease or cause a nuisance.
Using a safe pesticide around the house has become an important issue for many people. People are afraid to use commercial pesticides because they worry about damage to the environment, and possible toxic effects on children and pets. There are ways to make your own safe pesticide, and you won’t have to worry about toxicity to people, pets, or the environment.
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[edit] Safe Pesticide Tips
Most homemade pesticides are made of organic materials that are naturally repellent to insects. You can use these types of pesticides to deter bug infestations around the home.
[edit] Pepper
- Many homemade pesticides use pepper or garlic, because insects do not like these strong flavors. A simple way to make a pepper pesticide is to chop up jalapeno peppers, garlic and onions. Mix them with hot pepper sauce and a small amount of liquid soap. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle, then add just enough water to make it sprayable.
[edit] Vegetable oil
- This pesticide is especially effective against aphids, mealybugs, scales, thrips and mites. Simply mix one cup of vegetable oil with a tablespoon of liquid soap. Blend with one cup of water and pour into a spray bottle.
[edit] Liquid soap
- Liquid soap diluted with water is a very popular and effective natural pesticide. When the soap mixture is sprayed on plants, the insects are suffocated and die. The only drawback is that you need to reapply it on a regular basis, because it gets diluted by rainfall, or even moisture in the air. Use a soft liquid soap for this recipe, not detergent (detergents will kill the insects, but also destroy the plant).
[edit] Tomato and corn starch for roses
- If you grow tomatoes in your garden, you have one of the ingredients for a very effective spray for your rose bushes. Simply take a cup of tomato leaves, two pints of water, and two teaspoons of corn starch. Strain this mixture with cheesecloth and spray on your roses. You’ll be happy with the results.
[edit] Garlic spray
- This will handle almost all garden pests effectively. Crush three garlic cloves into a pulp and slowly introduce water into the pulpy mixture till you have enough to fill a spray bottle. If you want an even stronger pesticide, add half a cayenne pepper and a teaspoon each of dish soap and lemon juice. This mixture will lay waste to bugs in your garden.
[edit] Safe Storage Tips
- Pesticides are best stored in a locked, well-ventilated space. As an additional precaution, store away from pilot lights or other open flames, since the fumes could catch fire.
- Always keep pesticides in their original containers. Never remove the labels. Never store garden chemicals in soft drink bottles, or any other container that could lead to anyone, especially a child, to mistake the contents for food or drink.
- Make sure that pesticide containers are tightly sealed. Dry formulations such as wettable powders, dry flowables, granules, and dusts tend to cake when wet or kept in humid areas. Opened original containers can be placed in sealable plastic bags. This will reduce the absorption of moisture and will help prevent a spill if the original container tears.
- Shelves used for pesticide storage should be strong, stable, and not too high to reach easily, but out of the reach of children.
- Keep all chemical containers back from the front edge of the storage shelf. Some liquid pesticides come in glass containers. Be especially careful and take extra care when handling and storing breakable containers.
- Pesticides should not be stored with or near feed, seed, clothing, or similar articles. When possible, formulations of wettable powder, granular fungicides, and insecticides should be stored separately from herbicides to avoid possible contamination which could lead to later crop injury.
- Ideally, the storage room temperature should not fall below freezing. Products subject to "inversion" and similar breakdown as a result of freezing temperatures probably will not perform in a satisfactory manner the following gardening season if this occurs. In fact, crop injury may result from application of temperature altered pesticides.
[edit] Environment Pesticides Effects
If you are using pesticides in your garden, you should take steps to ensure that while it controls the pests, it also protects the environment from adverse effects.
- It goes without saying that prudent and wise use of pesticides can enhance public health and environment. An example of this would be controlling pests like rats and mosquitoes that are harmful to man. Controlling rats that carry plague or mosquitoes that carry malaria is necessary. However, pesticides that are off-target are pollutants and cause more harm than good.
- Air is important for mankind, plants and animals. It is a source of oxygen. Air has the ability to move particles long distances and this is where it creates a problem. When pesticides are used, the pesticides move through the air and can go from the target area to non-target or off-target areas. These pesticide particles then settle down in waterways, homes, lawns, and forests wreaking havoc to different plants, animals, insects and humans. These pesticides kill beneficial parasites, insects and predators besides pests.
- They can groundwater sources and end up in rivers and irrigation water. This contamination affects all life on the planet. Once groundwater is polluted, the pollution will reach streams, lakes and rivers. But as groundwater moves slowly, it will take some time to spread the contaminants.
[edit] Tips to Protect Children from Pesticide and Lead Poisoning
- Always store pesticides and other household chemicals, including chlorine bleach, out of children's reach – preferably in a locked cabinet.
- Read the Label FIRST! Pesticide products, household cleaning products, and pet products can be dangerous or ineffective if too much or too little is used.
- Before applying pesticides or other household chemicals, remove children and their toys, as well as pets, from the area. Keep children and pets away until the pesticide has dried or as long as is recommended on the label.
- If your use of a pesticide or other household chemical is interrupted, properly close the container and remove it from children's reach. Always use household products in child-resistant packaging.
- Never transfer pesticides to other containers that children may associate with food or drink (like soda bottles), and never place rodent or insect baits where small children can get to them.
- When applying insect repellents to children, read all directions first; do not apply over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin; do not apply to eyes, mouth, hands, or directly on the face; and use just enough to cover exposed skin or clothing, but do not use under clothing.
- Many homes built before 1978 have lead-based paint. If you plan to remodel or renovate, get your home tested. Don't try to remove lead paint yourself.
- Ask about lead when buying or renting a home. Sellers and landlords must disclose known lead hazards in houses or apartments built before 1978.
- Get your child tested for lead. There are no visible symptoms of lead poisoning, and children may suffer behavior or learning problems as a result of exposure to lead hazards.
- Wash children's hands, toys, and bottles often. Regularly clean floors, window sills, and other surfaces to reduce possible exposure to lead and pesticide residues.
[edit] Fighting Pollutants and Pesticides
- To ensure a good nutrition while guarding against exposure to high levels of pollutants and pesticides, the wisest thing to do is to eat a wide variety of food and avoid consuming too much of a few items that may carry a heavy contaminant load.
- Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, for example, prevent certain carcinogens (especially nitrosamines) from being produced in the digestive tract.
- Terpenes in citrus fruits and the sulfur compounds in garlic and other members of the onion family bind carcinogens to neutralize molecules before they can cause damage.
- Calcium, which is abundant in dairy products as well as in dark green leafy vegetables, binds to irritating free fatty acids and bile acids to reduce cell multiplication in the lining of the intestines.
[edit] Tips on how to reduce the amount of pesticide in food
- Scrub the fresh produce with soft toothbrush under running water.
- Remove the outer leaves of leafy vegetables and then rinse the vegetables well with tap water.
- Peel hard-skinned produce especially waxed vegetables and fruits, or rinse it with lots of warm water mixed with salt and lemon juice or vinegar.
- Buy organic when you can. Organic produce is grown without pesticides, so when you eat it you’re not also eating toxic chemicals.
- Grow your own food. More and more people have backyard and community gardens.
- Do not use detergents since they can leave their own chemical residues.
- Some toxins are stored in fatty tissues and remain out of harm’s way until the fat is mobilized for energy.
- Trimming excess fat from meats helps to reduce the amount of such pesticides that would be eaten.
- Cooking helps reduce some of the pesticide residues in food that are not removable by washing or peeling.
[edit] Links
- http://www.superexterminators.com/learn/safe-pesticide
- http://msucares.com/newsletters/pests/infobytes/19971125.htm
- http://www.onlinegardenertips.com/Pesticide/Environment-Pesticides-Effects.html
- http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/ecdh/Health/
- http://hubpages.com/hub/Tips-on-how-to-Reduce-Pesticides-in-Foods
